


Bascule

by JoAryn



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-22
Updated: 2013-04-22
Packaged: 2017-12-09 05:13:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/770376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoAryn/pseuds/JoAryn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chakotay and Janeway discuss Kes' short visit after the episode 'Fury'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bascule

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KJaneway115](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=KJaneway115).



> This was written for KJaneway115 for the VAMB Spring Drabble exchange. The first line she gave me was 'This is not the way I expected today to go." with essentially my choice of pairings. I chose KJ/Chakotay. CBS and Paramount own Star Trek and all associated characters; no characters were harmed in the making of this fic and no money was made, either.

BASCULE

(a ‘Fury’ follow-up)

 

"This is not the way I expected today to go . . ." Chakotay looked up from the command console as Janeway and Tuvok reentered the bridge, raised brow clearly communicating his confusion at her orders from the past hour. 

 

As Tuvok took his post as the tactical station, Kathryn dropped into her seat beside him with a sad smile.  "I'll tell you later," she whispered to him.  She straightened and addressed the bridge as a whole.  "I'm sure many of you would have liked the opportunity to visit with an old friend, but the situation did not make that possible.  Suffice to say, our dear friend Kes had found herself a bit lost.  We were able to help her find her way." 

 

She pushed herself up and he thought the effort took more out of her than it should have, but she moved easily to the conn and rested her hand on Tom's shoulder.  "Resume course, Mister Paris."  A pat, then, "I'll be in my ready room."

 

\-----'----,------<@

 

Two hours later, it was the end of shift.  Chakotay downloaded the shift reports into a PADD and headed for the ready room.  "Later" could mean anything from over dinner this evening to a week from now, depending on Kathryn's mood, but he hoped it was the former.  They hadn't spent much downtime together of late, and he always enjoyed quiet evenings with her.  Even if for just an hour or so, the captain's mask would slip a little bit and he could just relax with Kathryn.  Her opportunities to step away from her duties had been few and far between for the last several months. 

 

She called for him to enter almost as soon as he touched the chime so he knew she'd been expecting him.  He was relieved to see that see that her mood appeared to have lightened some and she gave him a genuine smile as he approached the desk. 

 

"Here are the reports for the past shift.  Weapons and shields are back to full efficiency, but B'Elanna is anticipating another couple of days before the damage to deck eleven is completely repaired."

 

"No request to set the ship down and give her a proper overhaul this time?"

 

He couldn't contain a grin, "I figured I'd leave that for your reading pleasure." 

 

Her smile widened into the lopsided one he adored as she took the PADD and skimmed it briefly.  "Maybe I'll oblige her this time.  It's not *quite* every day that we have hull breaches in 4 sections." 

 

He nodded, "The crew could use a bit of downtime."

 

"Ask Harry to start scanning, but I don't want to go too far out of our way.  If the Pathfinder project makes progress, I don't want them to have to search for us."

 

"Meanwhile, would you be interested in dinner?  I think Neelix is offering some sort of leola consomme in the messhall, but I can spare a few rations to save our stomachs."

 

She smiled again.  "Love to.  Give me a few minutes to log these reports?"

 

"Of course," he gave her another smile before returning to the bridge.  He hoped that even with the events of the day, she'd be able to relax and enjoy herself.  The last time they'd managed dinner together, she'd been too keyed up to ever really settle and she'd cut the evening short.  "Harry, start scanning for a likely M-class planet along our current heading.  Engineering could use the opportunity if we can find one that's not too far out of our way."

 

"Yes, sir!" 

 

Chakotay shook his head slightly as he took his seat.  He was sure that it wasn't his imagination that Harry sounded more eager than normal to follow that order.  If the ensign was anxious for a break, the rest of the crew probably were as well.  Even after nearly six years, Harry was still strongly focused on getting home.

 

He'd just settled into his chair when Kathryn emerged from her ready room.  He'd fully expected her to linger over the reports for another half hour but she'd surprised him. 

 

She moved toward the turbolift, pausing by tactical.  "Tuvok, you have the bridge.  Commander, I believe we have a date with a replicator?" 

 

He quickly logged out of the center console and joined her.  More than simply having lightened, her mood seemed to be back to the laughing lightheartedness he'd seen a flash of just before they'd encountered the aged Kes. 

 

\-----'----,------<@

 

On deck three, Kathryn paused at the door to her quarters.  "I'll change and join you in a few minutes." 

 

He nodded and hurried on to his own quarters and made quick work of programming the replicator before shedding his uniform in exchange for trousers and a loose shirt.

 

Kathryn hadn't yet arrived when he exited his bedroom, so he set the table and replicated a few candles.  To the casual observer, it probably looked like an intimate dinner for lovers, but it was what Kathryn preferred and far be it for him to shirk any effort that made it easier for her to relax and forget about being captain. 

 

He was just lighting the candles when the door chime sounded.  He called for her to enter and moved to the replicator to get their dinner.

 

Kathryn entered carrying a bottle of wine as was fairly typical for their dinners.   "I brought a red tonight; Chateau Picard 2354 Pinot Noir," she brandished the selection.  "Shall I pour?"

 

“Be my guest.  I programmed ratatouille, if that meets with your approval.  It’s ready whenever you are.”

 

“Sounds lovely.  Shall we sit and talk first?  Or would you like to eat?”

 

“I’m not in a hurry.  Would you like to talk about Kes?”  He took a seat on the sofa beneath the viewport and was gratified when Kathryn joined him. 

 

“Hmmm, yes, I suppose.  I’m sure you have questions.”

 

“A few.  You seemed to know what was going to happen.”

 

“I did.  And yes, it gives me a headache to think about it, but I’ll explain what I can.  The Kes I met today was very different from the Kes that left us three years ago.  I got the feeling she’s seen things we can’t even imagine. 

 

“She wanted to destroy us, to destroy Voyager in the past so she would never encounter this present.  Tuvok, Kes and I were the only ones that were aware of her temporal incursion in the past – you were busy saving the ship from the Vidiians, I think.”

 

“Tuvok?”

 

“He was suffering some sort of temporal dysphoria that caused him to see or hear events from today.”  She wondered if he’d recalled the other instance early on in their journey when she’d deliberately left him out of the loop.  She still regretted that episode in their history.

 

“Anyhow, that how I knew to evacuate deck eleven and have you shut down the warp core.  With the help of a hologram from her younger self, we were able to convince her that destroying us wasn’t the answer.”  Kathryn shrugged and smiled wistfully, “I believe she’s headed back to rejoin her people on Ocampa.”

 

“That’s a long trip in a shuttle.”

 

“I think she still has some of her extraordinary abilities.  Enough to make it a much shorter trip than we endured.”  She gazed out the view port. His quarters were on the port side of the ship, so the stars raced past from right to left. It was slightly dizzying, used as she was to seeing the stars come at her straight on as they did on the viewscreen on the bridge, and in her quarters and ready room.  
  
"I imagine that it was hard for you to see her like that." He knew that Kathryn had cared for Kes almost as a daughter.  
  
Kathryn turned back toward him, "Sometimes it's frightening how well you know me." She smiled faintly. "Yes, it was hard. It's a natural reaction to want to protect those we love."  
  
"Yes, I suppose it is." His mind flashed a rapid-fire slide show of instances when he'd liked to have been able to protect the woman sitting before him. Something must have shown in his expression, because her smile faltered and she reached out and touched his leg.  
  
"Oh, Chakotay . . . I had no idea. Even after all this time?"  
  
He blushed and was glad that his darker skin hid his embarrassment. "Always, Kathryn." He laid his hand over hers, fully expecting her to pull away.  
  
Instead, she turned her palm up and laced her fingers through his. "I was sure you must have given up on me after the situation with the Equinox and Ransom."  
  
"Never."

 

“Me neither.”  She smiled again.  “Maybe it’s time we did something about that?”

 

“What do you suggest?”

 

“This.”  Kathryn rose onto her knees and brushed a tender kiss across his lips.

 

“This is *definitely* not the way I expected today to go.”

 

El Fin


End file.
